Dawson – A lack of belief really cost us

Dawson felt all the focus on Knights being a full-time outfit and tipped for an immediate return to the Championship after their relegation last season, stuck in Raiders’ mind and stopped them from playing their own game.

The former Ireland international felt with more composure, Raiders could have returned from Yorkshire with a couple of bonus points.

He said: “Perhaps our players went up there in awe of them as all the chat before hand was them being a full-time side. It comes down things that precious commodity of belief and I am not sure some of our players did.

“It’s disappointing having watched the video a couple of times as we said we wanted to score four tries, and we scored two and then squandered two guilt-edged chances.

“They would have given us a bonus point for four tries and then put us within seven which is the losing bonus point as well. We aren’t experienced enough at times and that’s because of the step up and there are things the players don’t realise until the video sessions.

“But if Doncaster are the pinnacle of this league we have nothing to fear and the players have to buy into that.”